Life Gets Better
by thetiderollingin
Summary: This is a Finnick/Annie story. It begins with a short prologue and then it will continue from Annie's reaping until the end of Mockingjay. I will also not necessarily make this story canon... I don't agree with how some things happen in Mockingjay. This is going to be a blossoming romance... After all, she crept up on him.
1. Prologue

I am sitting in a white room. The walls are blank and void of any expression. I stare at President Snow's chair opposite me. It's white, like his favourite roses. His desk, however, is blood red. I touch the thing and expect the colour to come off on my fingers. With a hesitation I look at my hands. There is no residue. I try not to think of the colour anymore.

'Admiring the décor I see Mr. Odair.' I turn around and see President Snow clutching gardening gloves and a smirk. I don't pay him courtesy like the Capitol people do, I sit still in my seat. I avoid his gaze when he looks at me. President Snow does not like me. When I won the Hunger Games at such a young age it put forth an idea that anyone can win against the Capitol. His stare burns into my skin and I hate the feeling. Contrary to popular belief, the handsome Finnick Odair doesn't appreciate everyone's gaze.

'You must wonder why I have called you hear today.' Snow says as he cocks his head slightly and smiles at me.

'Not really, no.' I answer back. My voice is shaking and he can tell I'm anxious. It's written in his smile.

'How long was it ago that you won your Games?'

'Two years.' I try reply steadily.

'Yes, Mr. Odair, it is. Two years. A whirlwind of attention from girls, prestigious Capitol life and all this hope.'

'Hope, President Snow?'

'Hope, Mr. Odair, is something strong. It flirts in and out but can be permanent if needed to be.'

'I don't understand what you're saying.' I respond, meeting his gaze for the first time.

'Yes… Hope. We all possess it in some way. I think you have been hoping to avoid mentoring tributes from your district,' He responds. My stomach cartwheels. I was untouchable when I was 14, unreachable at 15. Now that my 17th birthday is approaching in less than six months, I am eligible to mentor. I am eligible to accidentally kill people from my District. I am eligible to be a murderer again. There is as much blood on my hands as those tributes that kill us from District Four.

'I think in this instance, Mr. Odair, your hope is a spark that has been put out. Where there is hope, there will always be fear. Welcome back to the Hunger Games.' He says.

Snow removes a white rose from his jacket, pries open my hands and places it in there. The thorns are still present and they prick my skin sharply. As President Snow walks out of his study and the first trickle of blood falls from my skin, he stops at the door. With one hand on the frame, he twists his head and says nine words that both anger and frighten me.

'And may the odds be ever in your favour.'


	2. Reaping Day

* three years later *

The train back home is fast. It travels at two hundred and something miles per hour. Panem passes by quickly. Usually, I am glad to go home again. I miss the sea air. The Capitol tries to bottle and sell it as a fake. They tell the young girls that Finnick Odair will love it. I walk down a street and a cluster of women will practically dump a bottle on themselves as I walk by. They giggle and wait for me to say something but they get disappointed soon after I stay silent.

However, I am not glad to go home today. It is reaping day.

'I wonder who I will kill this time.' I mutter to myself, staring out the window.

I try to sleep, but it evades me. So I sit for seven hours and try to think about how nice it would be to see District Four. Even just for a couple of hours. I don't think about tributes. I try not to.

I think about the feeling of warm sand between my feet and the sea air leaving my hair wavy and uncontrollable. I think about fishing and how much I miss seeing my father bringing in the nets every evening. He taught me everything about snares and making weaves from leaves and tree branches. It's how I survived in the arena. Fishing for food and catching small mundane rabbits every now and then. Although, barely a day went by where I didn't have a parachute. A dozen bread rolls here, a trident there… 'People appreciate your looks' is what I was told. People liked a handsome man. It's what I'm told now as well. Many Capitol women appreciate my looks.

It was a pity Snow killed my father and mother when I tried to refuse to mentor tributes at 16. Tried, and failed.

'FINNICK ODAIR WE ARE IN DISTRICT FOUR AND WE ARE LATE, LATE, LATE. HURRY UP, DEAR.' Reanie Vath screams through the train. She has a slight lisp and a bright orange hairdo this year. Her dress floats like clouds but resembles cheap cotton stapled onto a slip of material. I don't tell her this. Slowly, I pick myself up and run a hand through my hair. I practice 'The Odair Smirk' and wave and prepare myself for the cameras that will be waiting outside. I wonder if people see the sadness in my eyes… I wonder if they chant my name with vengeance when they realise I've killed 6 of their tributes accidentally. They know Mags did not train them, she can barely speak. They all know I'm responsible.

I step off the train and the cameras go crazy. People go crazy. They shout my name and try to cling to my clothes. Peacekeepers hold them back, laden with heavy batons in their hands as well as a look of disgust in their eyes. No one calls Mags' name, who's just stepped off the train. She's obviously had a long nap and has not cleaned herself for the cameras. She's been doing this for 60 years now, she doesn't worry anymore. They laugh at her and I step towards her and hold her hand. She's all I have now. I don't appreciate them laughing.

We're led to the building of nightmares whilst everyone rushes to their reaping stations. We wait and then we hear the sound of a boat horn. I hear the rustling of feet. The horn signifies that it's time to bid goodbye to two of District Four's children. We walk out to the stage and I stare at these innocent faces. There are people crying, biting their fingernails and fidgeting. Soon, there will be people dying.

Reanie stares at them with a smile.

'Alright, Alright. I know you just can't wait. But, alas, before we pick those lucky people who will be fighting for the glory of Panem, we will play a short film. How riveting!' She beams. The majority of chaperones are taught to speak this way. Beamy and finding everything oh so exciting! Behind the doors she's a drunkard with a lack of boundary respect. Mags and I do most of the chaperoning. We don't tell anyone that.

Then the video's over. It only lasts a minute and a half.

'Exciting, isn't it! Alright, well I know you all just can't wait so we'll reap our lucky tributes! As usual, ladies first. Couldn't you girls just die?' She excitedly squeals. Her poor choice in words has caused a girl to fall to the floor in hysterics but she is ignored. Reanie's slender fingers slide to the middle of the bowl as she picks out a slip of paper.

'And our District Four female tribute is…,' She unwraps the paper, 'Annie Cresta! Get up here Annie so I can shake your hand.'

I look at the crowd and I see a girl slowly walking out of her line. She has long thick dark hair, obviously brushed into submission but still slightly manic, and a strong face. She looks like she carries a lot of burdens, the bags under her eyes are dark purple and she has creases on her face that shouldn't be on someone so young. She looks around 17 to me. She walks up to the podium slowly and does not make eye contact with anyone. She stares straight ahead of her. She does not shake Reanie's extended hand. A slight blush sets in on Reanie's face at this point and I try not to giggle like a schoolgirl, but damn is it hard.

'And for the boys now!' Reanie says. She repeats the same process and pulls out a name. Walking quickly towards the microphone she opens the paper and her mouth forms an excited 'oh' form.

'Our male tribute is Caspian Cresta! How exciting, we must have a sibling act in the midst of the Games!'

Caspian looks about 12, with tan skin and freckles on his nose. He has dark hair too and shares the same face as Annie. I look at the girl. This is when I see her sharp intake of breath and the tears forming in her eyes. I see her begin to crumble. Her eyes search for someone, anyone, to take her brother's place in the Games. There is silence. The roaring sea rages behind everyone. Then they are led away.


	3. The Train

We all stand in silence in the hall. It echoes the silence that encapsulates us all. Annie is standing, holding her brother in a tight embrace. His tears stain her clothes just as hers wash Caspian's hair. She is whispering something softly into his ear, I can't make any of it out but Caspian's fierce refusal to what she's murmuring is apparent. The word 'no' becomes louder and louder every second.

Caspian breaks their hug and looks at me with such serious eyes for a 12 year old.

'We have no other family. There will be no one to say goodbye to us. Can we please leave now.'

'Yes.' It's all I can say to something like this. It's never happened since I began to mentor. There have always been friends, family and even sometimes strangers. They say things they've always wanted to say, 'I've loved you since I first saw you,' 'I owed you money and you cancelled the debt, I can never repay you,' or even just 'goodbye'.

Reanie, Mags and myself all surround Caspian and Annie to guide them to the train. We've left so early that I was expecting no cameras to be ready. I was wrong. The flashes are screaming in our eyes and although it's happened for many years, I'm still not used to it. Reanie of course isn't fazed, Mags is shielding her eyes and I'm trying to smirk as normal. I look to my tributes and see their strength. They're holding hands and their heads high. You can tell they've never seen lightning up close but they're trying so hard. Of course there are always cameras ready. How could they miss a moment like this? The moment one sibling could return without the other. The moment that at least one of them could die. The moment that they have been waiting for. Their story will be splashed on the front page of every newspaper and there is no doubt Caesar Flickerman will be raving about it tonight. His hair, a delicious shade of rosy pink, will wobble with excitement. As we step on the train, the cameras go crazy and a reporter seductively strides toward me. She has a big bust and blue eyes. She looks at me with pursed lips.

'Anything you can say about your tributes, Mr. Odair?' She flirts with me and pushes her chest out.

'They are the bravest ones I've seen yet.' I smirk and I blow her a kiss. She catches it and puts in between her cleavage. I try very hard not to laugh.

I let Mags and Reanie in the train first and then Caspian and Annie. As I walk on I turn around, smirk, wave and close the door.

**ANNIE'S POV **

The train door has now shut and my brother and I are alone at last. Although there are three strangers staring at us I don't count them as being important now. I shut my eyes for 10 seconds and then I speak.

'Where do we rest?' I ask, my voice breaking as I mutter. Finnick's tight posture loosens and he looks at me.

'Ah so she speaks.' He says. I stare at him, careful not to break it first. His green eyes are the first to lose contact. I straighten myself up and hold my posture firmly.

'Yes, she does. Where do we rest.' I repeat. I know I sound grouchy but Finnick Odair's useless smirking and running commentary is a boring game to me. His name echoes through everything ever to do with District Four. He's on TV shows, newspapers and he's been mentioned several times in my Capitol school books.

My old school books.

School books that will one day mention my death. If I'm lucky of course, they'll mention how brave I was and courageous and how I was paired with my brother and eventually sacrificed myself for him.

No matter how many times my brother will disagree, I would die to save Caspian.

**FINNICK'S POV**

I look at this girl with the thick hair. She stares back at me. She has green eyes too. They're slightly more beautiful but I don't think I'll tell her that.

'I'll show you where you stay but you can't sleep yet. It's only noon.' I say this but I'm nearly asleep on my feet myself. I've been up since 5AM and the pain of Reaping Day is horrendous. It makes me feel weighted.

'We all sleep in the same hallway and the walls are extra thin so keep it quiet, I need my rest.' Reanie interrupts as we get to the rooms.

'Yeah you need as much beauty sleep as you can get.' Caspian mumbles. Annie bursts out laughing but hits her little brother's arm gingerly. I smile with the two tributes.

'Excuse me, little boy but where I'm from, The Cap-it-tol,' Reanie extenuated every syllable as she looked at me (I immediately faked my smile off as a cough somehow) and then to Caspian, 'We don't talk to people with such rudeness. It's a disgusting habit and you're to be done with it immediately. The Capitol will not take kindly to you otherwise.' She pouts. With a little shake of her bright hair she walks into her room. Reanie has minor anger problems and she's using her tactic of 'punching a pillow'.

'She's going to be in there for at least half an hour. I'll show you your rooms.'

District Four's train's bedrooms are littered with items from home. In every bedroom there are seashells, blue waves painted on the walls and there are water beds.

'You both can nap for 30 minutes whilst Reanie is calming down. But I have to wake you up then.'

'Thanks, Mr. Odair.' Caspian says loudly so Reanie can hear him. Thin walls, after all. I show him his room and he walks in.

'That one's yours.' I say to Annie. 'Beside your brother and across from me.' I smile.

'Okay.' She quietly responds.

'No politeness?' I question with a smirk.

'No politeness. I'm not the Capitol's mannequin to change.' She replies and shuts the door in my face.


End file.
